DETROIT -- For a city that wears its "Hockeytown" moniker as a badge of honor, counting down the seconds until the Detroit Red Wings' next game can be a tedious process.

That anxiety, however, pales in comparison to waiting out the four wins required to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup, assuming those victories come at all.

But if the weight of that potential future is creating the type of tension that even team masseur Sergei Tchekmarev couldn't work out, the Red Wings are doing their best not to show it.

The team hit the ice at Joe Louis Arena 15 minutes after its scheduled 11 a.m. start time on Thursday, the type of fashionably late arrival that could signal a Nirvana-like state in the locker room-- or something like a pre-practice meeting that ran a tad long.

That's not to say that the Red Wings looked lackadaisical or even listless. Far from it. Practice was loose but focused, brief but efficient. Everything was about getting ready for the next challenge: the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"I say this all the time, 'Our preparation is equal to our opportunity,' " coach Mike Babcock said. "And our opportunity is fantastic."

In other words, it's business as usual even if the stakes are raised as Detroit prepares to host Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Saturday night.

The Red Wings have owned a tunnel-vision level of concentration ever since the playoffs started in early April. They haven't played since eliminating the Dallas Stars on Monday night, but the four days between series have been anything but a break, not with the prospect of a title looming.

With their first Stanley Cup since 2002 in sight, it's inevitable that expectations and pressure would begin to mount in brief moments away from the ice.

"We've been busy the past couple weeks with Dallas, so I haven't had much free time," defenseman Brian Rafalski said. "You clean things up around the house, get little things done and just try to relax. Not think too much about it."

Even the notion of adding his name to the lexicon of hockey greats engraved upon the Stanley Cup was enough to briefly shake Babcock's nerves.

"I'm not thinking about that," he said. "About my name ..."

Babcock paused to take a drink of water after his voice cracked ever so slightly. It was a rare display of emotion from the normally stoic coach, who finally conceded: "It would be nice."

Ultimately, of course, one team will walk away elated and one team will walk away devastated when this series is over.

But what can be lost for the players in the buildup to crowning the next NHL champion is making sure to enjoy the small pleasures that come with playing for such a storied trophy.

Especially when you come from an Original Six town that possesses a rabid fan base.

Especially when you've had repeated regular-season success only to fall short of the ultimate goal.

Especially when you're facing a team that features the face of the league, one Sidney Crosby.

And especially when there are plenty of interested parties quietly praying for this series to resuscitate hockey's popularity.

Babcock knows what's at stake. He just wants to make sure the Red Wings savor it.

"The Stanley Cup playoffs and the Stanley Cup Finals are totally different in my opinion. Just the enthusiasm and the excitement, and to see young people or old people be that excited, is great," Babcock said. "There's almost a giddiness about you, and yet you can't let anything get in the way of your focus and how important this is -- and how much fun this should be.

"I think a big part of success is if you enjoy what you do and you enjoy the process, you'll have a chance to enjoy the rewards."